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GAME 9 MICHIGAN STATE: Simply Not Good Enough

bac2therac

bac2therac

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Effort was there and the team competed but the bottom line is RU is not good enough to be Michigan State even though Sparty seemed ripe to be picked off. MSU really struggled that first half. Part of it was RU on defense but part of it was them just not being in sync, turning it over, bad shot selection, missing easy shots. For RU to get this win, they needed to make MSU pay and take advantage of the door being left opened but repeatedly RU shot themselves in the foot, whether it was a missed assignment on D, a poor look from 3, missed free throws, silly turnover RU seemed to not do enough to put themselves in position to win this game. And when it got down to the last 5 minutes, MSU just stepped it up and their talent and playmakers took over and it was goodnight Irene. You arent coming back from 6-7 points on them in the last 5 minutes, the game was lost before that.

But we have seen this game before the past 20-25 years, spirited RU effort on the road vs a ranked opponent and thoughts go to springing a major upset. Today didnt surprise me, thought it would go down much like this, we have seen this movie before. The good thing is to me this was an improved effort vs the likes of St Bonnies and Pitt. What that means is anyone guess. If they revert back to play vs St Bonnies or Pitt vs Wisconsin, they will lose, if they battle like they did tonight, they will beat Wisconsin and will have shot at a decent Big 10 record this year. The consistency on this team is maddening. Its as if a different slate of players alternate between having good and bad games, a box of chocolates it seems as if every player is good one game, bad the next, does not seem like enough players are on vs better competition. Geo Baker overall is struggling no question. Harper not good tonight. Young so inconsistent even in tonights game yet he had some highlights. Myles just couldnt stay on the court. Carter has some ability on offense but bad on defense. Mathis good plays and bad plays. Yeboah some great instant offense but yet his overall game lacking. Caleb now getting diminished minutes. Ultimately it points to the program just not having enough talent or leadership to knock off the top teams in the league. Playing close really is for losers. We are beyond that as a program...bottom line is you have to start winning games to move the program forward

Last but not least I want to touch upon the player I left out. Paul Mulcahy. Paul looked scared vs Pitt..it was an uh oh moment against a jump in competition. I think EVERY RU fan has to be encouraged and proud about Paul's performance tonight against one of the best guards in the country. I thought Paul brought a spark of energy immediately and executed some beautiful assists for points and converted on such a beautiful play from Geo for his only 2 points. That was a huge step tonight in his development and you could also see Paul becoming vocal on the court. A big key is how much will Pike trust in him to take minutes from others going forward. I think the more we see of Paul the better we will be in the long run even if it means some guys who might be thought of higher get their minutes cut. I think Paul can help solve the issue of the wretched half court offense RU runs and I expect him to be a factor vs Wisconsin.

Overall still not sure where we are at. We are 0-2 in the initial gauntlet but most felt this is exactly where we would be right now. The Wisconsin game is just about a MUST WIN for the program seeing that RU is lost 2 to Pitt/SBU. I just do not think RU can beat SHU so a 6-5 mark looms if RU cannot win. Wisconsin suddenly found offense vs Indiana and may not be the easy out that many thought they would be. RU needs to establish home court in league and try and develop some consistent identity. If anybody is in need of a win right now, its RU. They simply have to step up and answer the pressure.
 
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The performances from Mulcahy and Young and Yeboah need to be legitimate steps forward. Not like how Johnson took a step forward against Pitt then disappeared.
 
Excellent recap. We need for Geo and Myles to play “A” Game. Paul needs to continue improvement. A+B+C and we’ll be okay. Otherwise . . .
 
Really an odd game. We got absolutely nothing from Caleb, Johnson, Harper, Carter and Gio, yet we were still in the game for most of the game. If we ever hit a few threes and stop the woeful foul shooting...

Johnson has to stop the bad fouls.

Would like Pike in the refs’ faces a bit more as we not only don’t get any close calls but get a lot of bad calls against us. Over the top foul and it’s a foul on Harper really?

Thought Caleb did some good things but minutes were still cut.

Nice games by Yeboah and Young who carried us for times. Really don’t understand the Harper lovefest and the hatred for Young. Downright odd.

Mulchay looked great and shows his future as point forward/guard... defense be damned.

For whatever reason we play MSU pretty tough. Not discouraged after this game. Gotta find a way to hit some shots.
 
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Mulcahy played very well, RU desperately needs his instincts and savvy to get the half court O running smooth. The sooner he takes over as PG the better.

I initially thought Young's reckless play would have Pike reduce his minutes but Pike seems resolved to have Young play major minutes. Young came through well over all in the 2nd half and he does have some much needed skills for this team, can play good D and can drive by his man no problem. Just needs to look for his teammates.

Feel bad for Caleb, as I think he will be the odd man out on a lot of nights going forward. He was a very pleasant surprise last year and hasn't really done anything wrong this year (except for some T's and being in foul trouble). IMO he brings as much to the table as Geo and Mathis do (at least the Geo we have seen the last few games), but Pike has to shorten the bench and get some chemistry going because right now it's a mess.
 
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What did Mulcahy do that was great tonight? Was I watching a different game?
 
bac2therac said:
he showed flashes that he didnt show in other games....for a frosh they improved exponentially. I loved his demeanor against top 10 competition.
Click to expand...
Look at his stat line. He is swing man that fills minutes. That is it.
 
If Mulcahy can get 4 points, 6 assists and 4 boards a night and be an effective facilitator at PG this team will be that much better. Don't need incredible stats
 
Rutgers25 said:
This is nothing new from Geo. He disappears for at least half of B1G games.
Click to expand...
We have reached the point of his junior year that it is becoming obvious that Geo will not be Corey and take over a game. However , I Think his confidence has to be elevated right now. Pike has reduced his load where he was exhausted down the stretch last year , but he has not improved his game. I really think he has to move him to the 2 and let Mulcahy or Young fed him coming off a curl and drive for a pull up three or drive and pull up 2. He doesn’t break down the better guards in the Big 10 but he has a really good mid range game that is not being utilized. Plus if he drives and gets fouled he is a good foul shooter . We cannot win without his contribution with Pike playing him 30 plus minutes a night and the amount of first half or game disappearances for an Honorable mention Big 10 guard as a sophomore has been very disappointing. It has cost us 3 games so far.
 
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BigEastPhil said:
Composed...passed the ball well...settled down the team...doesn't run with his head down to the basket...looks for the open man...sees the whole court.
Click to expand...
That’s what swing man does. Stays on the outside and looks to pass. He’ll never be a difference maker.
 
Ho
urbanecane said:
I feel like this RU @ MSU game has been the same for 10 straight years. Michigan state seems a bit disinterested and going through motions, Rutgers puts forth a good effort but the result is never actually in doubt. I guess the Wisconsin game will show the value in this performance.
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What kind of clueless statement is that “ MSU seems disinterested and going through the motions “. ? They have to play well to beat us and we always play them tough. This was a winnable game but for some reason Geo, Caleb and Ron did not do anything great and Myles was in foul trouble all night . So we got almost nothing from those 4 and it is a 5 point game with 4 to go. Open the eyes when you watch the games so you can see more clearly.
 
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Geo can't play 29 minutes and score only 4 points. He did have 5 assists, but his overall game is not good enough for someone that should do so much more. Way too inconsistent.

But then again, we rarely get consistent play game in and game out from any of our players. One good game, one so-so or bad game. We show that we have some promise and then we don't finish the job...... But, overall a pretty good effort tonight by the team.

Best of Luck,
Groz
 
jtung230 said:
That’s what swing man does. Stays on the outside and looks to pass. He’ll never be a difference maker.
Click to expand...

Lol dude Mulcahy is a true frosh with a very high basketball IQ and handle we’ve never seen from a 6’6 player. This is the best conference in the country and he’s showing flashes in the first 10 games of his career.

Give it time...he’s going to be a difference maker.
 
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bac2therac said:
he showed flashes that he didnt show in other games....for a frosh they improved exponentially. I loved his demeanor against top 10 competition.
Click to expand...

For all the good he was offensively he gave it all back and then some defensively. We cut the lead to 5 mid 2nd half and back to back possession MSU hit open 3s because of him.
 
kcg88 said:
He is our most efficient scorer so that needs to change.
Click to expand...

He needs to be more inefficient with a lot more volume. If he isn'ttaking and making shots he really doesn't help our team.

Pike needs to take pressure of him and have him come off the bench.
 
bac2therac said:
Effort was there and the team competed but the bottom line is RU is not good enough to be Michigan State even though Sparty seemed ripe to be picked off. MSU really struggled that first half. Part of it was RU on defense but part of it was them just not being in sync, turning it over, bad shot selection, missing easy shots. For RU to get this win, they needed to make MSU pay and take advantage of the door being left opened but repeatedly RU shot themselves in the foot, whether it was a missed assignment on D, a poor look from 3, missed free throws, silly turnover RU seemed to not do enough to put themselves in position to win this game. And when it got down to the last 5 minutes, MSU just stepped it up and their talent and playmakers took over and it was goodnight Irene. You arent coming back from 6-7 points on them in the last 5 minutes, the game was lost before that.

But we have seen this game before the past 20-25 years, spirited RU effort on the road vs a ranked opponent and thoughts go to springing a major upset. Today didnt surprise me, thought it would go down much like this, we have seen this movie before. The good thing is to me this was an improved effort vs the likes of St Bonnies and Pitt. What that means is anyone guess. If they revert back to play vs St Bonnies or Pitt vs Wisconsin, they will lose, if they battle like they did tonight, they will beat Wisconsin and will have shot at a decent Big 10 record this year. The consistency on this team is maddening. Its as if a different slate of players alternate between having good and bad games, a box of chocolates it seems as if every player is good one game, bad the next, does not seem like enough players are on vs better competition. Geo Baker overall is struggling no question. Harper not good tonight. Young so inconsistent even in tonights game yet he had some highlights. Myles just couldnt stay on the court. Carter has some ability on offense but bad on defense. Mathis good plays and bad plays. Yeboah some great instant offense but yet his overall game lacking. Caleb now getting diminished minutes. Ultimately it points to the program just not having enough talent or leadership to knock off the top teams in the league. Playing close really is for losers. We are beyond that as a program...bottom line is you have to start winning games to move the program forward

Last but not least I want to touch upon the player I left out. Paul Mulcahy. Paul looked scared vs Pitt..it was an uh oh moment against a jump in competition. I think EVERY RU fan has to be encouraged and proud about Paul's performance tonight against one of the best guards in the country. I thought Paul brought a spark of energy immediately and executed some beautiful assists for points and converted on such a beautiful play from Geo for his only 2 points. That was a huge step tonight in his development and you could also see Paul becoming vocal on the court. A big key is how much will Pike trust in him to take minutes from others going forward. I think the more we see of Paul the better we will be in the long run even if it means some guys who might be thought of higher get their minutes cut. I think Paul can help solve the issue of the wretched half court offense RU runs and I expect him to be a factor vs Wisconsin.

Overall still not sure where we are at. We are 0-2 in the initial gauntlet but most felt this is exactly where we would be right now. The Wisconsin game is just about a MUST WIN for the program seeing that RU is lost 2 to Pitt/SBU. I just do not think RU can beat SHU so a 6-5 mark looms if RU cannot win. Wisconsin suddenly found offense vs Indiana and may not be the easy out that many thought they would be. RU needs to establish home court in league and try and develop some consistent identity. If anybody is in need of a win right now, its RU. They simply have to step up and answer the pressure.
Click to expand...
First of all, any game that we get almost nothing from Geo, Caleb , Ron and Myles due to foul trouble we have very little chance of winning. A tribute to our bench tonight that kept us in the game all night.
Myles has to try real hard to stay out of foul trouble because the minute he goes out, we lose his offense on the block if the guards would give him the ball, we lose his defensive rebounding and offense rebounding on putbacks , and we lose him as a shot blocker and rim protector. Carter started to show some offense early but his 2 late defensive possessions against Tillman shows what a defensive liability he is.
The elephant in the room has to be discussed and that is Geo. For a junior 9 games in , an All Big 10 honorable mention player as a sophomore , has been underwhelming to say the least. I know he will not be Corey but with Pike playing him less minutes and sometimes not at the point , he is not giving us consistent shooting you would expect from a junior and turning the ball over with his handle
. I think Pike has to some different things like bring him off curls and let him shoot or drive and hit his mid range jumper. He is totally not confident now and it is baffling. We need him badly.
Ron and Akwasi should play together and Ron has to get on the block or at the foul line every time. Pike keeping him out beyond the three point line is a waste. He can hit the occasional three but he is extremely more efficient within 15 feet plus he drives and finishes and gets the other team in foul trouble. We do not give him the ball enough. For some reason he is missing foul shots this year but I hope that stops. Akwasi was coming off screens and catching and shooting, ( Geo should also) and the combo of both of them will be more effective and more efficient than the perimeter offense , hoping our guards break down their man or the worthless weave we are running.
Young had his best half of the year after some stupid turnovers in the first half. Pike has to get in his ear and tell him to let the game come to him. Pass and cut. His first instinct is not to pass and to try to beat his man. He leaves his feet too soon and doesn’t keep his dribble alive or drives into trees unnecessarily . If he is playing the point , he must pass first and feed Myles or Ron on the block and if the pass comes back out then he can drive and penetrate . He has to reverse his mind set .
Paul will be our point guard sooner than next year because he actually does pass , pretty well and does feed the post.
Montes has to play more not less. If he makes a bad turnover or two , take him out for a few , but his slashing and driving and defense is something we need more of not less.
I wish I could explain the inconsistency we have witnessed. It is incredibly disappointing as I think we are better than we have played even in the games we have won. We have not clicked yet or looked incredibly sharp. It could be that we start 4 sophomores but still we are expecting someone or two or three guys to break out and it hasn’t happened yet . Coupled with the juniors Geo and Jacob not playing like juniors and it has us in this position. There is still time to turn this around and go on a long winning streak but the players or Coach have to do something a little different to get it started.
 
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It's a game that when you play 10 times on road against teams of this caliber, you're not going to win. MSU rarely loses conference home games.

I'm glad there are fans that are disappointed or expecting the unexpected at MSU. At the same time, the result or team had some signs from Young, Mulcahy and Yeboah that could help as we move into January and February.

Opponents have to start the gameplan to slow down Baker and the question is how to get Yeboah, Harper and Mathis more shots or attempts. I know fans are equating success being tied to Baker, but the reality is others contributed to make this a game with 5 minutes left without anything from Baker.

Wisconsin (to me) was always the most important of this 4 game stretch for a lot of reasons. The home court advantage at the RAC is still the next step for changing the programs direction for this season and beyond. It needs to be a tough spot for opponents.
 
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S_Janowski said:
Lol dude Mulcahy is a true frosh with a very high basketball IQ and handle we’ve never seen from a 6’6 player. This is the best conference in the country and he’s showing flashes in the first 10 games of his career.

Give it time...he’s going to be a difference maker.
Click to expand...
He is a great passer, but the guys he passes to, aren't great shooters, we need to get some players that can shoot
and then Paul will show his worth.
 
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BAC good summation. I believe if we had played this way against Pitt, we would have beaten them by 10 points.

I was at least heartened to see Pike run some kind of offense in the half-court compared to the wtf offense against Pitt. Pike had them run a weave while bringing both bigs into the high post to set screens and then either put some isolation plays on the strong or weak side or even some decent cuts to the basket like the no look pass by Baker to Mulcahy, which was a thing of beauty.

I also liked the fact that we weren't trying to shoot so many threes, yet when the game was still there for the taking, both Baker and Harper chose to take ill-timed threes (Baker off balance and Harper without his feet set), instead of driving to the basket and getting to the FT line. When they missed those threes MSU hit two threes and what was once a two-four point game suddenly had us down eleven. For someone like Harper, it's still sort of understandable, but he needs to learn from this mistake. As for Baker, he's a junior now and there is no mistake. He has to avoid forcing his shots from outside. He's just too inconsistent.

As to our home court, we have to defend it at all costs, or else this is going to be a very disappointing season because I don't see many wins on the road with this team.
 
Pikiell has some decisions to make with his players. It is clear Yeboah should potentially get more minutes as he is a shooting threat. Also, Young played better tonight. What he brings is greater than what he subtracts: change of pace faster guard that defenses struggle to adjust to. Also, he can draw fouls.

Last person is Mulcahy. It is so easy to support the Jersey kid. His effort is always high, he finds open players, and is average defensively. Where should the line up go from here?
 
I thought Rutgers competed hard and if they play that way going forward there will be some wins on the horizon.

Guys-----it's early-----takes 10-12 games to figure out rotations for plenty of teams.
 
Good effort. Better than PItt by a mile. Had some stretches on offense that were very good. We don't have the talent to be a one on one team, although many of the players think we do. Need to become an unselfish, extra pass team on offense and they could be pretty good. If not its going to be fits and starts like we saw last night.
 
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Greene Rice FIG said:
The effort was not uniform player by player.

MSU scored 77 points on 73 possessions so i can't rip the overall defense. I thought certain combinations brought more than others.
Click to expand...

Agree. Been the issue most of the year. Lots of me first attitudes.

Everyone came in the season all sunshine and rainbows then the reality of limited minutes hit everyone. Pike needs to get a little tougher IMO. Selfish players need to sit.
 
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